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Spark
'' '' “We can’t lose. I gave her my word! I’ll save Neese, even if I lose my life.” “Lasting peace for Lodoss is something that must be created by those who live there.” Background Spark was born into the leading family of the Fire tribe and was destined to rule over the tribe and he grow up in the desert near Blade. During the civil war, when he was seven, King Kashue encountered him and was impressed by young Spark’s bravery. After that, he was trained from early childhood in the courts of King Kashue for knighthood, he wasn’t as skilled as some children, but he was tenacious. No matter how many times he was knocked down, he would get back up and fight. After the civil war, the last leader of the Fire Tribe, Nardia, had died, which left Spark as the next in line to lead the tribe. Though Kashue had high hopes for him, his position within the tribe held him back. As the only heir of his tribe, there was much concern for his safety. When he was ten, Parn and Deedlit came to visit Blade. Because of Kashue’s respect for him, he brought Spark to a ball and introduced him to Parn. Spark was later treated to watching Kashue and Parn spar. After meeting his hero, Spark’s ambition was enhanced. Spark had never wanted his position in the tribe to interfere with his training. He asked Kashue to respect him in this matter; he didn’t want his social status to give him any sort of advantage. He was determined to become a knight on his own like all his peers. His peers advanced in rank while he waited for his knighting. One morning, ten years after meeting Parn, Spark anxiously attended yet another meeting where the new knights were to be announced. Spark wasn’t listed and he returned home, dejected, but was stopped on the street by a royal messenger. Spark had been summoned to the court of King Kashue and he feared that it would have something to do with his rank. He went back to Castle Akroyd, angrily expecting he would have to remind his King that he didn’t wish to be advanced because of his noble birth. But when he arrived, he was surprised to meet his childhood hero, Parn. Parn and Deedlit had come to speak with Kashue about Duke Raster of Alania who had allied himself with Marmo and Parn had wanted to see how Spark had advanced. After Parn and Deedlit had spoken with Kashue, Spark was honored with the chance to spar with Parn. There was a small feast that night, but Spark didn’t feel like attending. He wandered the courtyard and spoke to the guards protecting the Royal Treasury. As Spark turned his back on them, the guards suddenly died. Spark looked around, but saw no one at first. Then a dark elf who had been cloaked by invisibility spirits appeared. Spark knew he should have called for help, but there was only one elf and he assumed he could take it. Besides, if he beat the elf, he could finally be knighted. Four more elves appeared. Spark was clearly outnumbered and regretting that he didn’t send up the alarm. He threw his sword at the elves and ran back to the feast, managing to call for help once before an elf embedded a dagger in his back. Spark lay on the ground, certain he was dying while the elves made off with the Soul-Crystal Ball. Several people who had heard Spark’s cry came to his aide, Kashue, Parn and a dwarven priest of Myrii included. Greivas, the priest, healed Spark’s wound and Spark was questioned for not raising the alarm. The next day, Spark waited for his orders from Kashue, expecting that his chances for knighthood were null and he would be given the most mundane duty. Kashue finally appeared with a pair of mercenaries, Leaf and Garrack, the dwarf priest who had healed Spark the night before and one of sorcerer Slayn’s students, Aldonova. Spark was ordered to retrieve the Soul-Crystal Ball and deliver a message to King Etoh. As Spark and his group set out, they were followed by Little Neese, Slayn’s daughter. Near the end of their first day on the road, they came across a woman and her injured companion. Her name was Ryna and she explained that they had been attacked by the dark elves. Her companion, Randy, had been hit with a crystal in his chest and was in tremendous pain. They helped the pair to a fortress in Flaim. Ryna explained what happened, saying they were mercenaries on their way to a new job. Meanwhile, Greivas tried to heal Randy with his holy magic, but the crystal reacted to the magic and began to grow into a hydra, using Randy’s body as a host. Spark and his party fought the creature and Spark made his way into the ruins of the building it sprouted from to kill the host. He tried to kill the victim, but was unable to. Then, Little Neese appeared and used her powerful holy magic to destroy the monster. Neese joined their party and the group slowly learned of her destiny to be the Doorway for Kardis’ resurrection. Spark began to feel attracted to Neese while they traveled and defended her against Wagnard’s attempts at capturing her. When they reached Valis, Spark feared they had lost the Soul-Crystal Ball and he would never be knighted. He presents King Etoh with the message Kashue had entrusted him with. While they were in Roid, the Staff of Life was stolen. The staff was another required item for Kardis’ resurrection. With this, Spark and Neese realized that they would have to face Wagnard. But first, they go to Kanon to meet with Parn and Deedlit who were helping the Kanon Free Army. Marmo had occupied Kanon since the War of Heroes and the Free Army had been fighting to liberate their kingdom. During a banquet, Spark and Neese wandered off to talk, but Wagnard appears, finally able to overcome the pain he had endured on his previous attempts to capture her. Spark watches, helpless as Neese is stolen away. After Neese’s kidnapping, Spark blamed himself for losing her and his friends tried desperately to keep him from depressing himself. Spark begged Kashue to pursue Wagnard back to Marmo, but his friends and comrades assured him that Neese was out of immediate danger since Wagnard had expended so much strength capturing her. Kanon was liberated only days later and Spark, Parn and their companions set sail for Marmo. While making their way to Castle Conquera where the resurrection was to take place, they found themselves slowed by many obstacles. Karla appeared to them and offered Spark a choice, if he were to sacrifice himself and his party, she would stop Wagnard and thus, create neutrality. But if he refused, Karla would help Wagnard. Spark refused and Karla did as she promised. When Spark reached Neese, they found the ritual nearly finished. In a desperate attack, Spark and Garrack make a rush Wagnard, but the dark sorcerer strikes Garrack down, killing him. Just as Garrack falls, Spark plunges his sword through Wagnard’s chest. The sorcerer is destroyed, but Karla continues the incantation. But moments before the last words of the incantation are spoken, Parn comes down with is sword and knocks the enchanted circlet from her head, freeing the victim the Grey Witch had possessed and put to an end her invocation. But now Naneel had awoken in Neese and finished the ceremony. Kardis awakens and her wrath is unleashed upon Lodoss. Spark, still desperate to save Neese, charges the Dark Goddess even as she manifests before him in all her horrific glory. As the body of Neese/Naneel sinks back into a nether-worldly ream of the dark goddess, Spark jumps in after her, landing the strange plane where Neese’s soul is held captive. There he faces both Naneel and Neese, and learns of their duel nature. Both are one, inseparable and the same, Naneel a priestess of the dark goddess Kardis, and Neese a young priestess of the earth goddess Marfa. Both deities mortal enemies, and yet, inseparable and the same. Spark inspires Neese not to give up, and she fights on they only way she can, seeming to surrender, she opens herself to Naneel, and the dark priestess gladly takes possession of her soul. Both souls become one, and Neese surrounds the dark essence of Naneel, trapping her. The dark priestess realizes her mistake, but it is too late. By accepting Naneel, Marfa was resurrected, sealing Kardis away forever. Marfa then looks to Spark, and makes him an offer. If he would sacrifice Neese, Marfa would take her body and be reborn into it, bringing eternal peace to Lodoss. Spark refuses, believing that the people must make their own peace. Marfa agrees and goes back into her slumber within Forcelia. Now that Kardis’ evil had been sealed away, the perpetual clouds covering Marmo were swept away and probably for the first time in its existence, Marmo was touched by sunlight. Upon Spark’s return to Flaim, he was knighted. Flaim now controlled Marmo since Ashram had deserted it and the island was in need of a leader. Since Spark was already of noble birth, he was selected to become duke of the new duchy. He was wed to Little Neese as well, though this did concern the leaders of both tribes, as her father, Slayn, was the court mage of Flaim, and the marriage was seen as an attempt to gain even further power. Spark and Neese, however, married for love, not social status. Trivia His home country, the desert kingdom of Flaim, resembles that of a Middle-Eastern or Arabian kingdom from the historical Middle Ages, or Islamic Golden Age. Category:Characters Category:Male